VMware, was Re: [HECnet] Sort of off-topic, co-locating area 8

[Cory Smelosky]

On 23 Jan 2013, at 21:09, Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com> wrote:

On 01/23/2013 08:38 PM, Brian Hechinger wrote:
but it's nice to be able to just
create a VM with a few measly clicks.   The downside is that I have to
run the VMWare vSphere Client on a Windows platform.   In this case it's
Windows 7 running on my Mac Pro inside a VMWare Fusion VM.
  You can do a lot of stuff from the BB shell within ESXi, though the
command structure is somewhat obtuse.   It's handy in emergencies.   If
you're just bringing up or shutting down VMs, etc, it's very easy to
deal with, and you don't need to sully yourself with Winblows and end up
with that "not so fresh" feeling.

With the move to ESXi from "full blown" ESX VMware has been moving more
and more out of the ESXi host.

Are they reducing the functionality that's available there?   I don't
*want* full-blown ESX.

I wish I could tell.   The product descriptions on the website are a bit too full of buzzwords for me to figure out what's actually being said. 


The things you can do in BB are *very* limited.

Nah.   Here's my quick cheat sheet, which is only the stuff I've used:

vim-cmd vmsvc/getallvms                                                 # lists VMs
vim-cmd vmsvc/power.getstat <vmid>                           # get power state
vim-cmd vmsvc/power.on <vmid>                                     # power on VM
vim-cmd vmsvc/power.off <vmid>                                   # power off VM
vim-cmd vmsvc/power.shutdown <vmid>                         # shutdown
vim-cmd vmsvc/power.restart <vmid>                           # restart
vim-cmd hostsvc/maintenance_mode_enter                   # enter maintenance mode
vim-cmd hostsvc/maintenance_mode_exit                     # exit maintenance mode
vim-cmd vmsvc/unregister <vmid>                                 # remove VM from inv.
vim-cmd solo/registervm /path/to/<filename>.vmx # add VM to inv.
vim-cmd vmsvc/message <msg_num>                                 # get messages

So, basically anything except creating a new one or re-provisioning
disks or other resources...and I've done THOSE from the BB shell as
well, though not often enough that I've put it in my cheat-sheet.

Useful cheat sheet.


However, you can download the API tools (perl or PowerShell versions
available) or install the VMA (Virtual Management Appliance, just a
linux box with the tools already installed) you can do everything you
need to do from the CLI of your favorite OS.

Got a link for that?   And will it work with 4.1?

A quick google seems to only mention it for 5.0 :(


If you can use vCenter, the web based GUI in 5.1 is FANTASTIC and only
required flash. Works fine in Chrome.

If you need keys for 5 I might *cough* know *cough* where *cough* to get
some. *cough cough*. :)

Hmm!   Please to be sending!   Can I do an in-place upgrade from 4.1 to 5?

I could use a key I think   .I'm not sure which product I want through due to the number of buzzwords on the website.


                        -Dave

-- 
Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
New Kensington, PA

--
Cory Smelosky
http://gewt.net/ Personal stuff!
http://gimme-sympathy.org/ My permanently-a-work-in-progress pet project.